It’s Groundhog Day
It’s Groundhog Day! Is Spring just around the corner?
Yes, Feb. 2, Groundhog day, where the granddaddy weather prognosticator of them all, Punxsutawny Phil, decides the fate of the seasons. The tradition actually has Christian roots in Candlemas Day, when blessed candles were given out by the clergy for winter’s long dark nights.
Why groundhogs? They were plentiful in Pennsylvania where large number of German immigrants used this animal’s reappearance from its winter slumber as evidence of spring. Why is a shadow important? Well a cold clear day would allow for a shadow to be cast and mean more winter whereas an overcast day meant moisture was building up in clouds and hence must be warmer, thus no shadow. There are many duplicate groundhogs around the country each making their own forecasts, and just like real weather forecasts there are differences of opinion.
But fear not, hours of daylight are getting longer and hours of darkness are getting shorter and before you know it we will be at the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, but that will be a different story. Look forward to Earth Day celebration on Niagara’s campus on Wednesday, April 19. Brought to you by the Sustainability Committee, Mark Gallo and Dan McMann, co-chairs.